Business advice and support
There are number of business support and advice organisations operating in the borough, please see the list below to find the assistance you require:
Hotline – Call: 03333602300
The Kent and Medway Growth Hub provides a dedicated business support hotline that can advise and signpost businesses to the latest support, funding and other local opportunities available.
The Government have provided a resource with advice covering a range of areas linked to growing your business. Visit their ‘Growing your business’ hub.
- The Department for Business & Trade provides a range of advice and activities to help get all SME's exporting including a face to face meeting with an expert trade adviser.
- Chartered Institute of Export and International Trade is a free interactive portal where companies can find country/market information, seek advice from other exporters and exchange ideas.
- Do you want to expand to China, India or any other part of Asia? Check out the useful and easy business guidance first from Asia House.
- Those in the science and technology industries can obtain guidance and support from Innovate UK
- For food businesses, our Environmental Health Team are a great help and there is also the Food Standards Agency, who provide very good business guidance for food hygiene.
- Trading standards advice for businesses can be found at the Business Companion website.
- Practical tax and financial record keeping is covered by the HM Revenue and Customs web pages including webinars.
Help is at hand from The Office of the Small Business Commissioner. In order to help small businesses with this tricky issue The Commissioner will:
- support small businesses to resolve payment disputes;
- tackle the unfair payment practices of larger businesses that adversely affect many small businesses.
Visit small business commissioner to find out more, as well as how to take action if a payment is overdue.
Specific late payment enquiries go to complaints@smallbusinessccommissioner.gov.uk or telephone 0121 695 7770.
Research is a major part of business planning. Suitable resources include the British Library Business Centre as well as Ask a Kent Librarian, and the various business Chambers.
Which Franchise offer a range of franchise opportunities.